On how PhDs become human evil

The crimson two-horned beast that shattered the fantasy beast along with the highway with a single blow, the flames that made her sweat profusely even from nearly a hundred meters away, the silver chains that bound the fantasy beast, the spatial teleportation ability that took her directly from the 7th District to the outskirts of Academy City... No matter how much Misaka Mikoto wanted to see it as a superpower, her reason told her that it was definitely not a superpower she was familiar with!

(Could it be... that guy really is a magician?)

Misaka Mikoto had read some fantasy novels and was familiar with the concept of magicians. After thinking about it all night, she was surprised to find that the chains Bai Jie had cast were very similar to so-called "binding magic," and even the magic circles were somewhat similar to the illustrations in the book.

As for the two-horned beast, Misaka Mikoto believes that it should be Bai Jie's "familiar," or in Japanese terms, a "shikigami," which is a magical beast that obeys Bai Jie's commands.

Furthermore, Bai Jie's repeated statements that he was "a passing human villain and magic king" only reinforced Misaka Mikoto's belief that he was a magician.

"But do magicians really exist? Is Bai Jie really a magician?"

Even though she already had the idea that Bai Jie was a magician, Misaka Mikoto's scientific concepts, cultivated over many years in Academy City, still made her wonder about the authenticity of Bai Jie's identity.

finally--

"The courage to side with demons... I'll show you!"

--------------

"So, you still came after all."

At Bai Jie's home, looking at Misaka Mikoto and Shirai Kuroko sitting opposite him, Bai Jie sighed.

“I’m not surprised that Misaka came, but I didn’t expect you to come along, Shirai.”

"As my elder sister's first bodyguard, I cannot stand by and watch her come to a man's house alone, even if that man is her teacher!"

Looking at the loyal Shirai Kuroko, Bai Jie couldn't help but smile: "In a sense, you are a loyal subject, if you don't consider your strange sexual fetishes."

"So, Misaka, since you've chosen to come here, I can assume you're prepared to ally with demons."

To associate with the devil.

Upon hearing this, it wasn't Misaka Mikoto who reacted, but rather Shirai Kuroko.

"Big sister? What do you mean by siding with a demon?! Have you been brainwashed by this ape and turned into his plaything?!"

"Hey, I heard you!" Bai Jie was sweating profusely. What did he mean by becoming his plaything? Only Shirai Kuroko would be interested in someone as flat-chested as Misaka Mikoto!

Surprisingly, Misaka Mikoto did not blush or feel her heart race when questioned by Shirai Kuroko. Instead, she calmly replied, "The courage to associate with demons—that's a lie, isn't it?"

"Ok?"

Upon hearing Misaka Mikoto's words, Bai Jie, who had been feeling embarrassed, immediately became interested.

"That's an interesting way of putting it. Why do you say that?"

"intuition."

"...Pfft." Bai Jie suddenly burst out laughing. "Haha, intuition, I must say, your intuition is quite accurate."

"They were lying to me all along, assuring me that they were associating with demons."

"Oh dear, because I felt that scene from last night was too familiar, I couldn't help but quote what Philip said."

Upon hearing an unfamiliar name, Misaka Mikoto frowned: "Philip?"

“A friend of mine, when we first met, asked me the same question as someone else, just like you asked me last night, ‘Do you have the courage to associate with the devil?’ Back then, I was in my chuunibyou phase and answered without hesitation.”

Looking back now, Bai Jie's decision at that time seemed rather arbitrary and impulsive.

Bai Jie poured himself another cup of tea and said, "So what do you want to know? This is only for this meeting. I'll answer anything you want to know. I can even tell you what the final exam questions are for next semester."

"real?!"

Misaka Mikoto was tempted, but she calmed down in the next instant. She had come here to investigate Bai Jie's true identity.

"Ahem... Let's continue with last night's question. You said you are both Human Evil and the King of Magic, so what exactly are 'Human Evil' and 'King of Magic'?"

"You really did start by asking a question that's quite a long story. To put it bluntly, human evil is the stain on humanity itself, which is the disaster that destroys humanity."

"So... 'human evil' is just an abbreviation; the full name is 'evil that destroys humanity'?"

"No, it should be 【evil destroyed by humanity】... Well, if I continue, it would probably take several hours. Just think of me as the demon king in a novel who gets defeated by the hero." Bai Jie said, "As for the King of Magic... as the name suggests, the king of magic. I can use any magic in the world and can easily create new magic, freely controlling all magic power."

"Magic? Isn't it sorcery?"

"Magic refers to achieving things that can be done with modern technology and human effort using magical power, while magic is something that cannot be done with modern technology and human effort, such as this."

A flame ignited at Bai Jie's fingertips.

"As you can see, I used magic to ignite a fire, something that could be done with a lighter. That's magic."

"As for magic... I don't know the situation in this world, but it shouldn't be possible to travel between parallel worlds or time travel yet, that's magic."

In fact, Bai Jie can also be considered a magician, after all, it's impossible for a magician to casually destroy a star (laughs).

After Bai Jie's explanation, Misaka Mikoto and Shirai Kuroko finally understood the difference between magic and sorcery. They hadn't expected that there was such a distinction between the two.

Section 518, Episode 18: Kamen Rider Railgun (laughs)

"Then, the second question."

Having gained a general understanding of what human evil is and what the Magic King is, Misaka Mikoto posed her second question.

Are you from another world?

Another world.

This is a setting that has frequently appeared in novels and anime in recent years. Last night, Misaka Mikoto realized that the scene of Bai Jie's appearance was almost exactly the same as the scene of the protagonist appearing in another world in the manga. Therefore, she couldn't help but wonder if Bai Jie came from another world.

"Yes, that's right."

Bai Jie readily admitted it.

"Well, to me, your world is the real other world."

"They really are from another world?!"

Misaka Mikoto practically jumped in front of Bai Jie.

"What's another world like? Are there magicians like you there? Or is it a scientific world like Academy City?"

"Stop, stop, stop. Look how excited you are." Bai Jie hurriedly pressed down on Misaka Mikoto. "Well, it depends on which other world you're talking about. I've been to many worlds, some are based on technology like this one, some are based on magic, and some have both. If you want to hear about them, I can tell you about them one by one."

After exchanging a glance, without much hesitation, Shirai Kuroko and Misaka Mikoto responded in unison, "We want to hear it!"

With a wry smile, Bai Jie began to recount his past: "I originally lived in a place called Terra..."

Over the next four hours, Misaka Mikoto and Shirai Kuroko learned what a mythical experience truly meant.

They learned that a doctor named Bai Jie was an evil scientist fighting against a cataclysmic disaster that would destroy humanity.

They learned that a knight named Bai Jie, wearing a mask, had repeatedly stood up for love and peace.

They learned that a magician named Bai Jie had once fought alongside the Queen of Collapse on the battlefields of heroes.

They learned that the Fool named Bai Jie had fought against gods who had broken free from mythology, using the world as their stage.

They learned that the ferocious beast named Bai Jie faced numerous myths together with his beloved red dragon.

They learned that a commander named Bai Jie and the warship girls were sailing on the azure sea route.

.......

Over the course of a century, the man standing before Misaka Mikoto and Shirai Kuroko has left his mark on numerous worlds. If his experiences were set in ancient times, they could even be written into an epic saga.

"After the Fifth Holy Grail War, I separated from Kiana and Artoria and came to this world alone, and that's when I met you all."

After finally finishing recounting his experiences, Bai Jie picked up his teacup, took a sip, and moistened his throat.

After listening to Bai Jie's account, Misaka Mikoto and Shirai Kuroko both fell into a long silence. They never expected that Bai Jie, who looked like he was just a high school student at most, had already experienced such a wonderful life in so many worlds.

Herrschers, monsters, heroic spirits, disobedient gods, demons, sirens... Even without personally experiencing the battles Bai Jie spoke of, Misaka Mikoto could feel her blood boiling.

"Well, I have a general understanding of your past, but I have a question. I wonder if you could explain it to me?" Shirai Kuroko asked, "Why are you so popular with women? You have as many as ten wives?"

"Uh, so that's the question you're asking." Bai Jie's face stiffened.

"That's right, that's right, I also want to ask, why do you have so many wives, Bai Jie?"

"Is it my fault? At first, I was a bachelor who didn't want anyone. If Chen hadn't proposed to me so directly, I probably would have remained single for a long time."

Bai Jie wasn't lying. If Chen hadn't transmigrated, he would probably have remained single for quite some time, and his first wife would likely have been Cecilia.

"Alright, alright, let's leave the topic of my wife here. Is there anything else you want to ask?"

Seeing Bai Jie's clumsy attempt to change the subject, Misaka Mikoto and Shirai Kuroko both laughed.

To be honest, having learned about Bai Jie's identity and past, Misaka Mikoto had already achieved her goal for today. However, after listening to Bai Jie's story, a question still arose in her mind.

To be precise, it's an idea.

Through Bai Jie's narration, Misaka Mikoto learned about Valkyries, Kamen Riders, magicians, and Godslayers... and now Misaka Mikoto has a bold idea—

"Can I become a Kamen Rider?"

Misaka Mikoto asked with utmost seriousness.

"puff--!"

Bai Jie spat out his tea in one gulp.

What did this girl say? Become a Kamen Rider? Is she serious?

"I'm not trying to be mean, Misaka, but why did you become a Kamen Rider in the first place?"

"Because it's so cool! Fighting for love and peace while wearing a mask, that's super cool! I've already decided, if I become a Kamen Rider, I'll be Kamen Rider Railgun, fighting for love and peace in Academy City!"

Looking at Misaka Mikoto's chuunibyou-ish outburst, Bai Jie sighed helplessly: "Academy City is so peaceful. Even if something happens, there are disciplinary committee members and security guards. Why do we need you to be a Kamen Rider to maintain order?"

"Uh... just tell me if I can do it!"

"...I can be a Kamen Rider, but I don't know if you can use those systems. After all, many Kamen Rider belts are not universal; they are only for certain people."

Haruto's belt, Eiji's belt, Emu's belt, Kouta's belt, Tenkuji's belt... These belts either require surgery or can only be used by specific groups of people; it's really rare for ordinary people to be able to use belts.

"By the way, Misaka, let me ask you something first, you and Shirai Kuroko have pretty good chemistry, right?"

"this...."

"Does that even need asking?!" Shirai Kuroko hugged Misaka Mikoto with astonishing force. "Kuroko and Onee-sama are bound together by fate, their destiny intertwined for two lifetimes! Even the tacit understanding between husband and wife can't be stronger than that between Kuroko and Onee-sama!"

"Idiot! Who has better chemistry with you than a married couple?!" Misaka Mikoto, filled with shame and indignation, forcefully shoved Shirai Kuroko away. "Let me tell you this first, Shirai, if you give me a belt that can only be used by both of us, I'd rather die than use it!"